A new Wawa Superstore celebrated its grand opening over the weekend at Hatfield Pointe, a shopping center on Forty Foot Road that straddles the line between Hatfield and Towamencin Townships. Chief Executive Officer Howard Stoeckel says it’s a prime location.

“It has high visibility at a major intersection. We have stores several miles away, but this was an under-served market, so we’re glad to be part of the community here.”

He says the 108-year-old company’s retail stores have changed a lot since the first one opened in 1964, mainly to sell dairy, deli, bread and produce.

“We’ve become more immediate gratification. People come to Wawa because they’re thirsty, they’re hungry, they need a beverage and they need it now, so our business has evolved, and you’ve got to have variety because most of our customers come in every single day, and we have some customers that come in multiple times every day, so you have to give the customer variety.”

He says they still produce their own milk, teas and juices, but service is important too.

“Our associates who work in the company own 28 percent of the company. We have a trust fund that owns about 49 percent, but the associates that work in this company are major stakeholders as well, and I think that’s what makes this company so special. We have great products, but we also have outstanding people.”

Stoeckel says when they ask customers what they like about Wawa stores it always comes down to the people. He says it’s like the Cheers effect at a convenience store, a reference to the old TV show “Cheers” where everybody knew everybody.